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. 2013 Jul 29;1(Suppl 5):1-12.
doi: 10.4172/2157-2518.S5-001.

Histones: Controlling Tumor Signaling Circuitry

Manoela D Martins  1 , Rogerio M Castilho  2
Affiliations

Histones: Controlling Tumor Signaling Circuitry

Manoela D Martins et al. J Carcinog Mutagen. .

Abstract

Epigenetic modifications constitute the next frontier in tumor biology research. Post-translation modification of histones dynamically influences gene expression independent of alterations to the DNA sequence. These mechanisms are often mediated by histone linkers or by proteins associated with the recruitment of DNA-binding proteins, HDAC I and II interacting proteins and transcriptional activators, coactivators or corepressors. Early evidence suggested that histones and their modifiers are involved in sophisticated processes that modulate tumor behavior and cellular phenotype. In this review, we discuss how recent discoveries about chromatin modifications, particularly histone acetylation, are shaping our knowledge of cell biology and our understanding of the molecular circuitry governing tumor progression and consider whether recent insights may extend to novel therapeutic approaches. Furthermore, we discuss the latest oncogenomic findings in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) from studies using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology and highlight the impact of mutations identified in histones and their modifiers.

Keywords: Acetylation; Chromatin compaction; Genetic code; H3; H4; Histone modifications; Oral cancer; Whole genome sequencing.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. HNSCC mutations in histones and histone associated transcription regulators
(A) Bar graph of 74 sequenced HNSCC tumor samples [121] containing mutations in epigenetic associated genes that encode histones and their linkers, proteins associated with the recruitment of DNA-binding proteins, HDAC I and II interacting proteins, corepressor proteins and transcriptional activators and coactivators. (B) Bar graph depicting the percentage of mutations found in HNSCC samples (n=74). (Graph generated from the analysis of the HNSCC NGS supporting data published by Stransky et. al. 2011.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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